


Just and loyal; unafraid of toil

by Ellienerd14



Series: Author’s Favourites [23]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Daniel and Sean are wizards, Gen, Hufflepuff!Daniel, Hufflepuff!Sean, No Incest, Protective older brother sean, Sibling Love, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21986719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellienerd14/pseuds/Ellienerd14
Summary: All too aware of the dangers that magic can bring, Sean is determined to protective his brother when Daniel starts Hogwarts. But trouble is unavoidable at a magical school - Sean must step up to protect his brother.(Written for the Life Is Strange 2 Secret Santa)
Relationships: Daniel Diaz & Sean Diaz
Series: Author’s Favourites [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1451542
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	Just and loyal; unafraid of toil

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Head_Full_Of_Things__Shir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Head_Full_Of_Things__Shir/gifts).



> This was written for Luka/head-full-of-things with a prompt that basically focused on the bond between the brothers. I've been planning a cute little Hogwarts AU for a while now so I thought this would be the perfect chance. I really hope it's an idea you like! 
> 
> (I've left a little wiggle room to add more to this series if I want to. So maybe we'll see more of Sean and Daniel's magical adventures.)

Sean’s baby brother is born at the height of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s terror. The first time Sean saw Daniel he was struck by just how tiny he looked. 

The world outside was so scary and Sean had already been taught what to do if there was trouble. (Find Mum or Dad unless he can’t. Then hide and be very, very quiet.) Sean can’t help but look down at the tiny baby curled in his cot and worry that baby Daniel wouldn’t be very good at hiding. He cried when he woke up and he only settled if someone told him a story; part of hiding was _being quiet,_ what if- 

Sean made a promise to himself to look after Daniel no matter what, whether scary wizards or thunderstorms. 

Daniel grows a little and starts to walk and make noises that might be words. Outside, things get worse. 

His parents tried to keep the reality hidden. But Sean overheard worried conversations between them, read snippets of the news about deaths, heard them cry late, over lost friends, when he should be sleeping. 

And then it _just_ _stops_. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named _stops._ Sean spent that fateful Halloween night huddled at home with his Dad. Having a set of Muggle-born parents made any late night walks impossible, even for treats. 

The next morning, they tell him it’s safe. Or safer. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is dead now, stopped by a boy his brother's age. (That horrified Sean. That he would try to kill a baby. That someone might even want to kill Daniel.) 

The magical world is alive once more, full of joy and celebration. Just not for the Diazs. Karen walked away from magic; walked away from _them_. She gives Sean her wand and Esteban an address to write to. She leaves baby Daniel with nothing. 

Sean spent that night with his Mother’s wand under his pillow, pledging to use it to protect his baby brother if needed. His childhood had taught him that you had to be careful and if Daniel was too young to look out for himself, it must be Sean’s job to fill that role. 

He just hoped wherever Harry Potter ended up, he had someone to protect him too. 

* * *

_“Davis, Tracey.”_

Sean glanced over at the group of first years, quiet for the first time since they had entered the hall and still waiting in line, trying to pick out his brother’s dark hair. In the crowd, it was impossible to find him. 

“On _‘D’_ now,” Lyla whispered, “Dan will soon, right?” 

“Yeah.” Sean gave up on trying to find him. “Is it weird I’m more worried about his sorting than my own?” 

“Slytherin!” The hat roared, followed by applause from the table. Tracey ran over, leaving the stool at the front of the great hall empty again. 

Lyla laughed. “It’s sweet. You complain about Daniel, but it’s all talk.” 

_“Diaz, Daniel.”_

Sean ignored Lyla, looking over as the tiny figure of Daniel moved towards the front of the hall. Daniel’s eyes drifted over to their table and he smiled at his younger brother, although he didn’t seem to notice. (Daniel was staring at Lyla all doe-eyed instead, _typical_.)

There was a long moment as Daniel pulled a face at whatever the sorting hat was whispering to him. Stubborn as ever. 

Then, Daniel looked directly over at their spot, giving Sean an excited thumbs up. He knew which house Daniel was in before the sorting hat declared him a _“Hufflepuff!”_

Lyla poked him, “move up.” 

They shifted along, making a big enough space for Daniel to squeeze in. 

“Sean, Sean, we’re together!” 

“I knew we would be.” 

The sorting continued, with a few more additions to the Hufflepuff table. To Daniel’s delight, Chris joined them too. He lived in the same village as their Grandparents and the two had spent last summer together. They were also joined by Jacob’s sister, who seemed much less shy than her older brother. 

A hush fell over the hall when _“Potter, Harry”_ was called. He looked even smaller than Daniel, with an explosion of messy black hair covering his scar. It was hard to believe someone so young had put an end to the terror of his childhood. 

“So cool,” Daniel whispered. 

The sorting hat declared him a Gryffindor and Sean was a little relieved. It wasn’t his fault but Sean had always thought Harry Potter would be a magnet for trouble. The last thing he wanted was Daniel getting dragged into it. 

His brother didn’t seem to share that concern. “Ah, no fair. He’s like so cool.” 

“Nah, you’re already enough of a handful _enano_.” 

“Hey!” Daniel stuck out his tongue and he smiled at his younger brother. 

Sean was glad that Daniel was in Hufflepuff with him. He could keep an eye on him and keep him on the right track. Truthfully, Sean couldn’t imagine Daniel anywhere else. His natural curiosity may have suited Ravenclaw (seriously, the kid never stopped talking) but Daniel had the biggest heart.

Besides, it seemed just right the Diaz brothers were together. 

* * *

After the welcome feast, Daniel insisted on showing Sean his new dormitory. Whilst most of the other students seemed tired after a long day of travel and heavy meal to follow, Daniel was bouncy as ever, practically leaping up the stairs, dragging Sean behind him. 

“I’m coming, enano, slow down.” 

It was sweet, actually, to see such excitement on his face when he first saw the castle. Daniel had been pestering him for years about what Hogwarts was like, both in his letters and during his otherwise peaceful summers. He had been counting down the days till he got his school letter for as long as Sean could remember. 

“Ta-da!” 

Daniel was already bouncing on the bed in the furthest corner, messing up the homely, yellow patchwork blanket on top. The room was nice and clean, still yet to be turned into the unorganised tip Sean’s own was after five years of living there. 

“Come jump with me.”

“Really Daniel-“

“Please.” 

Sean glanced between the open door and his brother’s pleading face, before jumping onto the bed with him. Daniel laughed giddily, half-crushing Sean when the brothers eventually lay down. 

“Do you think Dad will miss us now we’re away?” 

“No way, he’ll love the peace.” 

“No fair. I don’t talk _that_ much.” 

Sean wrapped his arms around him. “Okay, okay enano, he’ll probably miss us every day.” 

“Can I write to him soon? Just to let him know I’m okay.” 

Sean glanced at the slightly worried expression on his face. “Sure. I’ll show you where the owls are kept later.” 

“The hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor.” 

“You are pretty brave sometimes. And reckless.” 

Daniel nudged him. “You mean cool.” 

“Yeah. Guess you’re stuck with me instead.” 

“That’s not too bad. I guess.” 

“Dad was in Gryffindor.” 

“Cool!” Daniel sighed. “What about…” 

He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Karen was a Ravenclaw. She was artsy and shit.” 

“I wish I could write to her too.” 

He frowned. “You know Karen made her choice.” 

Daniel pulled a pillow over his chest. “Okay. It’s so big here. And the stairs move! So magical.” 

“We’ll help you so you don’t get lost. Jake and Lyla are prefects so they’ll watch over you.” 

“But you’ll help too?” 

Sean nodded. “Yeah.” 

“Will show me where the dragons are?” 

“There’s no dragons at Hogwarts. And don’t go looking. The forest is dangerous.” 

Daniel half-yawned. “Okay. But... it’s safe here, right?” 

“I promise.” 

Daniel seemed relieved. “Will you help me unpack?” 

“No chance,” Sean said, pulling himself off the bed. “Leave it for tomorrow. You’re had a long day.” 

“I’m not even tired,” Daniel said, trying to cover another yawn with his hand. 

“Whatever you say.” Sean ruffled his hair, watching as Daniel rolled over in bed, blinking sleepily. “Goodnight Enano.” 

Sean pulled a blanket over him, watching his brother breathe peacefully. 

He’d look out for Daniel, no matter what. 

* * *

The first week back from school was always hectic. After weeks of sleeping in, Sean felt zombified each morning. Lyla was her usual bubbly self no matter what time of day, so he relied on her to drag him to the right class. 

Having Daniel around was a little weird at first. His brother usually wrote to Sean every few days, sending pages of rambles and questions and drawings. Having him there in person instead meant most of the questions came directly from him, and his morning were much louder, but it also meant that Sean could actually hug his brother and the usual homesickness wasn’t so intense. Another figure appeared at their table in the library and all his Hufflepuff scarves seemed to go missing. 

Despite all the little changes having Daniel there meant, Sean was glad to share it with him. His Dad would be surprised at how well they got along at school. Even in his weekly letter, he seemed impressed that Sean was helping him. (Esteban wrote more to Daniel than him. Daily, even. So he wasn’t the only homesick one.) 

“You’re a big softie,” Lyla said. She was lying across his lap, eyes closed. Their closeness used to get a lot of strange looks and questions (how many times had he had to pretend to be sick when people asked if he was dating Lyla before they got the message?) but in the sixth year of platonic cuddles, no one looked twice. 

“Shut up,” he replied, already knowing what she meant. 

(Okay, maybe that’s why people called them a married couple.) 

* * *

It hadn’t even been a full month when Harry Potter caused his first drama. Daniel, despite not being there, was more than happy to explain exactly how a first year had gotten on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sean couldn’t help but roll his eyes: flying perfectly the first time and immediately getting on the team was a typically Gryffindor thing to do. (He was a good player, from the little Sean actually got from Quidditch. He only went to the games to help Lyla heckle the teams. Plus, the announcer with the purple hair was cute.) 

“Do you think I can join the team?” 

“No way Enano.” 

“No fair.” He pouted. “Well, I’ll practise all Summer with Dad and then I’ll be the best ever.” 

Sean couldn't help but snigger, Daniel had been on a broom exactly once and fallen off and into their neighbour’s garden. His training broom had been in the shed ever since. 

“Can’t wait.” Lyla fist bumped him. She was the captain of the Quidditch team. Sean mostly went to the games to support her, he was better at sports played on the ground. (“There’s no magic in being a fast runner.”) 

“Harry is so cool,” Daniel continued, “do you think he’s the Chosen One?” 

“There is no ‘Chosen One’. He’s just a kid.” 

“He’s my age.”

“Exactly.” Sean ruffled his head. “Just stick with Chris and Noah, okay?” He glanced over to where Jacob was chatting with his sister. “And maybe talk to Sarah-Lee. She seems nice.” 

Daniel was frowning but he nodded. 

Lyla flicked the back of his head. “Chill dude. I’m pretty sure he already has a Dad.” 

“I’m just looking out for him.” 

“He’s a sensible kid. Dan will stay out of trouble.”

“Shut up,” Sean replied, which Lyla knew meant she was right. 

“Plus,” she added, “Hogwarts is a safe place.” 

* * *

“Troll, troll in the dudgeon!” 

Panic rippled across the hall as teachers rushed to hurry them somewhere safe. Lyla disappeared to lead the younger years inside, Sean following her quickly. 

“Sean?” Jacob’s voice was heavy with worry. “Have you seen my sister?” 

“No. Isn’t she with the other first years? Lyla’s meant to be leading them.” 

“No. She left dinner early. She was upset, our parents-” 

“I’m sure she’s on her way to the common room.” 

“I know she’s not.” Jacob glanced in the halls. “Do you ever have feelings of like, older brother instinct?” 

With growing dread, Sean nodded, all too aware he hadn’t seen Daniel since breakfast. “I’ll help you look for her.” 

Jacob smiled gratefully, his reason for agreeing so quickly going unsaid between them. With all the chaos and the looming threat of a troll, they slipped off easily. Sean hoped that Daniel was with Lyla; chances were that he was looking for Sean, not the other way round. (He almost-believed it.) 

“Where do we start?” 

“Sarah’s still new so she doesn’t know a lot of places. When she gets upset at home, she locks herself in the toilet.” 

“It’s a start.” 

The hallways were so empty it was almost eerie. Sean and Jacob stuck close together, both holding out their wands as a precaution. The first of the girls toilets they checked was empty, the second belonging to a miserable ghost. 

“Maybe she did go back-”

Jacob’s hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Sean jumped a little. 

“What-” 

“Did you hear that?”

Sean listened and a moment later he was met by a scream and a heavy thump. 

“That has to be the troll?”

“Shit.” Sean followed Jacob’s sprint, already running through all the healing spells he knew. (The voice sounded _so young.)_

The bathroom was a mess, with smashed bits of sink and wall everywhere. The troll stood in the middle, growling at four small figures by its feet. 

“Sarah!” Jacob called, spotting his sister, who was clinging onto the hand of the Gryffindor girl next to her. There was a Gryffindor boy too, with the signature Weasley red hair. But all of Sean’s attention was on his own brother, who had positioned himself protectively in front of the two shaking girls. 

The troll roared, oblivious to their arrival. It swung the hefty club down. Sean cast a protective charm, hoping his simple ‘Protego’ would be enough to help, just as another small figure jumped up on the troll’s back, sticking something up its nose. 

Sean held his protective charm, trying to work out if he could cast on the other kid, when one of them shouted ‘Wingardium Leviosa’, causing the club to hit the top of its head. It slumped down and the kid rolled off, close enough that Sean could make out his signature scar. 

What the hell was Daniel _doing fighting a troll_ with _Harry Potter?_

“Jacob,” Sarah sobbed, running over and flinging herself at him. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Sean mostly directed his question at Daniel, but all the first years (they were first years…) seemed a little terrified of him. 

“I was going to ask the same thing Mr Diaz.” Professor McGonagall stepped into the bathroom, followed by Professors Snape and Quirrell. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed.” 

Daniel shuffled back a little, unsure if Sean or McGonagall would give him a sterner talking to. 

“Well-” 

“Mr Diaz, Mr Hackerman, as sixth years, perhaps you could explain why you are here too?” 

“Some of our first years,” Sean began, fixing Daniel with a stern look, “were missing. As a Prefect, it’s Jacob’s job to look for them.” (It was mostly true.) 

“I asked Sean to come too,” Jacob added. 

“I suppose the fact it was your siblings were the ones missing has nothing to do with it?”

Under her strict gaze, Sean felt like a first year himself. 

“Although, I am much more concerned that a bunch of first years felt like they were capable of taking on a troll by themselves-” 

“Excuse me, Professor McGonagall…” the Gryffindor girl began timidly, “it’s my fault. I thought I could handle it alone because I’ve read about trolls. Harry and Ron came to rescue me.” She glanced at Daniel and Sarah-Lee. “They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought I could be all heroic but…” 

Sarah-Lee had another little sob and McGonagall turned to her. In a much kinder voice she suggested Jacob take his clearly distressed sister to the medical ward. 

“Daniel,” Sean said, “are you hurt?”

“No.” 

McGonagall continued to lecture the poor girl about responsibility, taking away ten points for Gryffindor. “As for you two,” she said, addressing Sean and Daniel, “it is clear that the older Mr Diaz was only trying to help protect some overambitious younger students. Ten points to Hufflepuff. Same for Mr Hackerman. As for the younger Mr Diaz, perhaps you would like to explain what you’re doing here?” 

“I was just trying to help Sarah. She got all upset and ran off so I brought her some food. I didn’t know about the troll.” 

“I see no reason to punish being in the wrong place or time. Sean, please escort your brother back to your common room.”

Sean and Daniel headed out. Daniel was being unusually quiet, his eyes downcast. 

“Sean, I-” 

“Come here.” Sean pulled Daniel close to him in a tight hug. “You scared the crap out of me Daniel.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I just wanted to help Sarah-Lee and…” 

“He was,” a voice said, “Daniel was really nice.” 

It was the Gryffindor girl from earlier. Her face was a little red and she sniffled a little. 

“Are you okay Hermoine?” 

“Yeah.” Hermoine smiled at Sean. “Thank you for helping us. That protective shield was good thinking.” 

“Thank God you didn’t need it.” He sighed. “You… okay kid?” 

“I was only in the toilet because I was crying,” she said, her voice wavering a little, “and then Sarah and Daniel came in. He brought her some sweets because she missed dinner. I was upset because…” she sniffled, “I don’t really have any friends. So, Daniel gave me some too.” 

Daniel blushed a little. “You said to be nice to Sarah-Lee, so…” 

“When the troll showed up, everything got very out of hand. Harry and Ron were trying to stop it.”

“Not you?” 

She looked a little embarrassed. “Well, I-” 

“Look kid, just be careful. When you first start and you have magic it’s easy to feel invincible. But sometimes, you have to know when to walk away. Or run, in the case of trolls.” 

Hermoine nodded but Sean wasn’t convinced. It was impossible to keep a Gryffindor out of trouble. 

“If you don’t have any friends yet,” Daniel said, “you can sit with us in lessons. Plus, you’re so smart!” 

Sean couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for his brother’s offers. Daniel was definitely an extrovert, able to make friends with anyone. 

“I’d like that.” Hermoine smiled, a little shy. “I should go back to my common room now. But, I’ll talk to you tomorrow Daniel. Thanks again…” 

“Sean.”

“Thank you Sean.” Hermoine left, looking much more positive than before. 

That left Sean and Daniel alone again. 

“Do you think Professor McGonagal will tell Dad?”

Sean had been in trouble enough times to know. “Yeah.” 

“Ah man.” 

“Dad will understand.” Sean ruffled his hair. “Hey, I got in trouble for the first time way before Halloween my first year.” 

“What happened?” 

“Well, it was all Lyla’s fault really…” 

* * *

“You must have been so freaked out.” 

“I know. What the hell am I supposed to tell my Dad?”

Lyla was half-lying on Sean but he made no effort to move her. It was the only thing stopping him from getting up to check if he was safe in bed. (Sean had done the same when Daniel was a baby. He used to creep in at night to look in on his brother. If Daniel got restless or woke up, Sean would whisper stories through his cot bars until one of them fell asleep.) 

“It was an accident.” 

“That’s even worse. It’s like he’s in danger by just being here.”

Lyla patted his hand. “I don’t think trolls are a constant problem. And you can’t expect him to just go home.” 

“I know.” Sean resisted the urge to turn to the direction of his dorm. “So, what do I do?” 

“Maybe…” 

“Oh, I could walk him to class and…” 

Lyla sighed. “Sean.” 

“I’m going all Dad-mode. I know.”

“Wish I had an answer dude. Just look out for him.” 

“It’s not just Daniel. That Gryffindor kid used ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ and it worked but also it was the only spell they remembered.” 

Lyla rubbed her forehead. “Cause they’re kids. Shit.”

“Yeah, shit.”

They sat in silence for a while, thinking. (Worrying mostly, on Sean’s behalf.) 

“Let’s help them then.”

“Help them what?”

“Protect themselves.” Lyla sat up. “Who better to help them then the best freaking fighters?” 

Sean pulled her into a hug. “This is why you’re my best friend.”

* * *

_(They spent free afternoons teaching Daniel defensive spells, sometimes joined by Chris, Sarah-Lee or even the three Gryffindors Daniel had managed to befriend - fighting a troll together helped, he guessed. Hogwarts might not be safe but it was home. And Sean always wanted his brother to feel safe at home._

_And if that meant the best freaking fighters gained a few more fighters… that was okay.)_

[ **Reblog on Tumblr** ](https://bazwillendinflames.tumblr.com/post/189898678784/read-on-ao3-a-diaz-brothers-hogwarts-au-for)

**Author's Note:**

> I ended up putting the brother's in Hufflepuff and since I know Hogwarts houses are taken VERY SERIOUSLY - here's why:  
> ~Slytherin is pretty fitting too, depending on the morality and path you chose for them. They are willing to do whatever it takes to stay together and get to PL. But in my playthrough I went high morality, so it didn't quite fit for my version of them.  
> ~Gryffindor was a good choice. I think both brothers are very brave and fit well but since I knew Harry would be in this I wanted them away from Gryffindor.  
> ~Ravenclaw is my house, so I was tempted. They're both creative but it didn't quite fit either?  
> ~Hufflepuff values just fit my version of them so well. Caring about justice, loyalty and doing the right thing. Plus most of my side characters ended up fitting in Hufflepuff too, so it ended up fitting. (But feel free Ito debate me on this!) 
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated!


End file.
